Neighbors: Ringing in 2009 on the beach
St. Augustine Beach's New Year's Eve celebration, Beach Blast Off 2009, promises to be both hot and cold. The annual Fire and Ice Chili Cook Off will take place from 4 to 8 p.m. with fireworks at 8:30 p.m. The family-oriented event will feature ice carving, food vendors, and expanded children's activities. Football fans will also be able to view games on big screen televisions.

IMAX has new special effects
The World Golf Hall of Fame IMAX Theater at World Golf Village now provides closed and descriptive captioning services for hearing and visually impaired guests for a selection of its films. The World Golf Hall of Fame IMAX Theater is one of only 21 locations in Florida -- and the only theater in the Jacksonville and St. Augustine areas -- to offer the specific captioning and descriptive services.

Club calendar
Elks celebration
St. Augustine Elks Lodge No. 829, A1A South next to the St. Augustine Amphitheatre, will sponsor its annual New Year's Eve party featuring music of the Beachcomers.

Spreading holiday cheer
Holiday cheer has broken out all over the St. Augustine and St. Johns County Visitor Information Center (VIC) with bright, cheery and colorful decorations throughout and, with the help of many of the community's fourth-graders, a grand tree at the entrance to greet visitors and residents alike.

Habitat has record fundraiser
Habitat for Humanity celebrated its annual Holiday Gala for Humanity earlier this month with more than 200 at the Casa Monica Hotel fundraiser.

Old Florida Museum offers free admission
Old Florida Museum is offering a special gift to visitors this holiday season: free admission for all residents of northeast Florida, and half price admission for out-of-town guests. The "Happy Holidays" admission discount and store sale will run through Jan. 4.

VR-58 sailors honored by Navy League
Members of St. Augustine Navy League Council recently attended an awards ceremony at Fleet Logistics Squadron (VR)-58, NAS Jacksonville. Personnel Specialist First Class Kimberly Beams and Aviation Warfare Systems Operator First Class Peter J. Hopkins were selected by the squadron to receive the second quarter 2008 Sailor of the Quarter awards.

Group packs 26 holiday meals
The Helping Hands of St. Johns County recently met and assembled 26 Thanksgiving dinners for Christ's Cupboard Food Pantry on Roberts Road at the Celebration Lutheran Church.

Local clubs
The following is a list of organizations meeting in St. Augustine. Additions and corrections should be e-mailed to anne.heymen@staugustine.com or faxed to 819-3558, attn. Anne Heymen.

Go & Do
TODAY
* Holiday kids' camp: Need some time to get holiday shopping done while your kids have a fun-filled day at the Alligator Farm? New this year, the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park offers a day-long mini camp right before the holidays, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for Kindergarten through fifth-graders. The day will include crafts, games and animal encounters. Lunch will be provided. Cost is $35 for members, and $5 for nonmembers. Call 824-3337.

Rihanna to sing for suppers
Rihanna will sing for a president and a cause when she rocks the nation's capital on President-elect Barack Obama's Inauguration Day.

Go & Do
n Holiday kids' camp: Need some time to get your holiday shopping done while your kids have a fun-filled day at the Alligator Farm? New this year, the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park offers a day-long mini camp right before the holidays, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for K through fifth graders.

Got a job interview? Leave the trendier clothes at home
Q: What is the best thing to wear for a job interview?
A: You are obviously serious about landing new employment. Your outfit should reflect that seriousness -- so ditch the trendy options. No matter what job you are interviewing for, your outfit should be conservative and businesslike.

Bacterial vaginosis often recurs
DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am a 65-year-old woman who has been suffering from bacterial vaginosis for the past seven months. I have done everything suggested: oral antibiotics, vaginal antibiotics, creams and treatment with gentian violet. I have a terrible burning without a discharge or odor. As soon as I have sex after a treatment, it returns. I am at my wits' end. -- V.P.

'Sopranos' actor cleared of murder
NEW YORK -- Lillo Brancato, who played an aspiring mobster on "The Sopranos," was cleared Monday of second-degree murder in the shooting death of an off-duty policeman during a drunken, late-night search for drugs.

The state of migration
WASHINGTON -- The nation's great migration south and west is slowing, thanks to a housing crisis that is making it hard for many to move.

Scientists seek ways to ward off asteroids
WASHINGTON -- A blue-ribbon panel of scientists is trying to determine the best way to detect and ward off any wandering space rocks that might be on a collision course with Earth.

National report
Museum finds vacuumed gem
NEW YORK -- The American Museum of Natural History's latest discovery is a diamond in the rough: a visitor's $15,000 gem in a vacuum-cleaner bag.

5 men convicted in N.J. of plotting to kill U.S. soldiers
CAMDEN, N.J. -- Five Muslim immigrants accused of scheming to massacre U.S. soldiers at Fort Dix were convicted of conspiracy Monday in a case that tested the FBI's post-Sept. 11 strategy of infiltrating and breaking up terrorist plots in their earliest stages. The men could get life in prison when they are sentenced in April.

Wintry blast stalls travelers
SEATTLE -- A blast of winter in the nation's northern tier stranded travelers far and wide Sunday just a few days before Christmas, with dozens of flights delayed or canceled and bus passengers sleeping on cardboard at a Seattle terminal.

U.S. buildup in Afghanistan taking form
WASHINGTON -- The Pentagon is poised to announce the deployment of at least one more combat brigade to Afghanistan in the coming weeks, as the expected force buildup of U.S. soldiers and Marines begins to take form.

Obama set to release report
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President-elect Barack Obama will offer details this week about his staff's contact with Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who is facing federal charges of plotting to swap appointment of Obama's Senate successor for cash or a job.

Young cancer patient's thank-you: tip of 500 hats
FARGO, N.D. -- Three-year-old Hudson Francis has been making weekly 300-mile round trips from his home in Surrey to Fargo for leukemia treatments. Now, with his cancer in remission, he's left doctors, nurses, patients and others early Christmas presents.

For the Record
The City of Palm Coast will hold a public meeting at 6:30 p.m., Jan. 7, to discuss the project development and engineering study being considered for the future six-laning Palm Coast Parkway project in the City.

County holiday schedules
All offices of the St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners will be closed on Thursday and Friday for the Christmas holiday.

Medical bills hurt family funds
The wife in this family with four children works. Her husband stays home with the children because of the serious medical problems of their twins, who are unable to stay in day care.

Struggling to support grandchildren
A woman has been caring for her daughter, as well as the daughter's three children. The daughter has cancer and a tumor on her brain, and now her kidneys are failing her.

Crist to replace Manuel
A replacement for suspended St. Johns County Commissioner Tom Manuel will be appointed this week, St. Johns County officials said Sunday.

Hope for a new beginning
The historic church appears to be coming apart at the seams, but its soul has seldom been stronger.

Report: Diver died spear fishing
The 22-year-old Vilano Beach SCUBA diver who died Saturday afternoon had been spear fishing on a reef 29 miles east of St. Augustine when he failed to surface, a St. Johns County Sheriff's Office report released Sunday said.

Manuel motion cites 'fatal defect'
A defense motion filed Monday in U.S. District Court asks that the bribery cases against former St. Johns County Commission Chairman Tom Manuel be dismissed because the indictment failed to state what "business or transaction" he allegedly influenced.

Debbie Pearl-Rosenblatt
Debbie Pearl-Rosenblatt passed peacefully on to eternal life with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, while being held in the arms of her beloved daughter, Shelley, on Thursday, Dec. 18, 2008. Debbie was born in Miami, Fla., on Oct. 4, 1946. Her valiant battle against cancer touched and inspired many. Debbie's strong faith and character enabled her to offer strength and encouragement to friends and strangers alike, as she walked a very difficult road with courage, grace and dignity.

Betty Bush Jarrard
Betty Bush Jarrard, 83, passed away at San Marco Terrace Rehabilitation and Care on Friday, Dec. 19, 2008. She had been a resident at the center since September 2005.

Mary H. Edgren
Mary H. Edgren, 94, of St. Augustine, died Dec. 21, 2008, at Moultrie Creek Nursing and Rehab Center. She was born in Park Ridge, Ill., and has lived in St. Augustine since 2002, moving here from Marinette, Wisc. She was a devoted wife and mother who always took great pride in her home and family.

William P. Kelly
William P. Kelly, 87, passed away on Dec. 20, 2008. Mr. Kelly was a native of New York, served in the U.S. Army during WWII and had a long career in the grocery business. He was a former resident of Ponce Landing and Eagle Creek and was a member of St. Anastasia Catholic Church. He is survived by his wife Virginia and daughter Barbara.

Financial chaos
The global financial crisis deepens, with more than 10 million in the U.S. out of work, according to the Department of Labor. Unemployment hit 6.7 percent in November. Add the 7.3 million "involuntary part-time workers," who want to work full time but can't find a position. Jobless claims have reached a 26-year high, while 30 states reportedly face potential shortfalls in their unemployment-insurance pools. The stunning failure of regulators like the Securities and Exchange Commission was again highlighted, as former NASDAQ head Bernard Madoff (you got it, pronounced "made off") was arrested for allegedly running the world's largest criminal pyramid scheme, with losses expected at $50 billion, dwarfing those from the Enron scandal. The picture is grim -- unless, that is, you are a corporate executive.

Making a good start
The media-conscious President-elect Obama obviously understands the importance of creating the strongest possible first impression on the country as he gets ready to tackle a plateful of woe inherited from the departing Bush crowd.

1+1= 20 extra votes for Franken
It's bad enough that the Republican Party can't prevent Democrats from voting in its primaries and saddling us with The New York Times' favorite Republican as our presidential nominee. If the Republican Party can't protect an election won by the incumbent U.S. senator in Minnesota, there is no point in donating to the Republican Party.

Local watch
University of Florida guard Steffi Sorensen (Bartram Trail), had the best game of her young career in the No. 20 Gators 90-83 win over visiting No. 16 Pittsburgh on Sunday. Sorensen, a true freshman, hit five 3-pointers and scored 15 points.

Local Watch
Flagler College will host the third annual "Dine with the Stars" fundraiser on Jan. 22 at 7:30 p.m. in Flagler's dining hall. Former Jacksonville Jaguar and Penn State All-American tight end Kyle Brady will be one of the keynote speakers' as well current Baltimore Orioles manager Dave Tremblay and Jacksonville Suns' manager John Shoemaker.

Singh wins Chevron, Furyk blows lead late
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- Three months after winning the FedEx Cup, Vijay Singh padded his most lucrative year in golf Sunday by making a 10-foot birdie on the final hole for a 5-under 67 and a one-shot victory in the Chevron World Challenge.

Chargers throttle Bucs
TAMPA -- Philip Rivers and the San Diego Chargers did everything they could to save their season.

Carr's catches coming to close
TALLAHASSEE -- When Greg Carr steps onto the field at the Champs Sports Bowl for his final college game Saturday, he'll finish his Florida State career as the second receiver in school history to rank in the top five in receptions, receiving yards and touchdown catches.

NBA: Celtics win
BOSTON -- Rajon Rondo scored 18 of his 26 points in the third quarter to help the Boston Celtics tie a franchise record with their 18th straight win, beating the New York Knicks 124-105 Sunday night.

Charge against lawyer dismissed
MIAMI -- In a ruling hailed as a victory by defense lawyers, a federal judge on Monday dismissed a money-laundering conspiracy charge against a prominent attorney accused of illegal dealings with a Colombian drug lord.

Orlando tops murder record
ORLANDO -- With fewer than two weeks until 2009, authorities say the Orlando area has broken its all-time annual murder record this year.

Terror plot retrial will start in January
MIAMI -- Six Miami men accused of plotting with al-Qaida to destroy Chicago's Sears Tower and bomb FBI offices in several cities will go to trial for a third time in January, a federal judge said Monday.

U.S. warns Russia against selling missiles to Iran
WASHINGTON -- U.S. officials said Monday that they want answers from Russia on whether it is selling advanced surface-to-air missiles to Iran, a move the U.S. insists could threaten American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Decapitated soldiers discovered in Mexico
ACAPULCO, Mexico -- Authorities found the decapitated bodies of 12 men in the southern state of Guerrero on Sunday, and some victims have been identified as soldiers.

Mexico honors 13 soldiers beheaded by drug cartels
CHILPANCINGO, Mexico -- The decapitated bodies of the soldiers lined a major boulevard, accompanied by a sign: "For every one of mine that you kill, I will kill 10." A bag of their heads, some still gagged with tape, was found nearby.

World report
Report: Colombian rebels to free 6 hostages
BOGOTA, Colombia -- Colombia's FARC guerrillas are offering to free an ex-governor, a former lawmaker and four other hostages to help jump-start talks on a prisoner swap, a left-wing news agency reported Sunday.

Israel ponders Gaza as truce ends
JERUSALEM -- The truce, flawed and half-formed as it was, has ended. The familiar tit-for-tat of Palestinian rocket launches and retaliatory Israeli airstrikes has already resumed.